Facts about holidaying
in Greenland (part 6/10)
Enjoying things natural
and cultural in Greenland
Updated February 1996
This information is provided by Greenland Tourism a/s, the official tourist board of Greenland
Rules of the mountainside
Moving around in a foreign culture
A few choice words for the road
The internationally familiar 10 rules of the mountain are highly relevant to Greenland, too.
- Don't start off on long walks without some previous training
- Let someone know where you're heading and when you expect to be back
- Pay heed to the weather and the weather reports
- Listen to experienced mountaineers
- Be prepared for bad weather and accidents, even on short walks
- Always remember a map and a compass
- Never go alone
- Turn back in good time
- Conserve your strength; look for shelter while there's still time
- Always tale along the neccesary emergency gear
These 10 rules can be supplemented with the following useful tips:
- The most important safety gear is between your ears
- Prevention is better than cure
- Always be capable of helping yourself and others
- Match your planning to your ability
- Listen to your body and intuition
- Look at the map, get your bearings and always be aware of where you are
- Be aware: notice the landmarks in the landscapes you pass through
- If in doubt, choose the safest solution
Be careful when using any form of naked flame. Always extinguish with water, never with soil or sand. Limit your use of living vegetation for fuel - natural growth in Greenland is very slow.
In Greenland, there is mounting awareness that natural amenities should not be polluted.
In many places, however, Greenland looks less clean and unspoiled than is desirable. Set a good example and at the very least take all your own rubbish away with you, even if litter is already lying around the place.
Cover organic waste over with large stones or boulders, or use crevices in the rock, as the arctic fox digs very deep.
Good practice dictates that you do not throw fish innards and fish heads into trout streams and lakes.
Greenland is a country many people dream of experiencing, and for those whose dream has come true, their visit will have been the experience of a lifetime. However, whether you have experienced the inaccessibility of its remote peaks from a distance only or have actually stood at their feet, certain elements are required to complete the picture of Greenland; things which any visitor ought to bear in mind before, during and after his or her stay. Things which have to do with the utterly exceptional scenery, the equally unusual culture and the people themselves, who have their roots in that culture.
Greenland is in many respects a country that aims to retain its identity as an "indigenous land" with an indigenous people. Part of that indigenousness includes demanding the right to use their own resources, including living resources - a demand which has not always met with the requisite understanding around the world.
For example, sealing is one of the mainstays of Greenlandic culture. There was a time when sealing was the existential basis of the Greenlandic population, but to this day it is still the only commercial foundation in large parts of the country. Sealing is still a necessity, therefore, not a form of brutal commercial exploitation, as the business is often accused of being.
The interaction between nature and the Greenlandic people plays an altogether huge part, and many precautions are taken to avoid depleting and destroying the resources available from the sea, air, earth and subsoil.
It is essential, therefore, to familiarize oneself thoroughly with the rules that apply to moving around the Greenlandic countryside. If you are interested in the country's rich bird-life, for instance, and wish to climb the mountains that are home to some of the 52 resident breeding birds, the appropriate thing would be to find our more information from the local conservation regulations first.
Always check the conservation regulations and other rules, therefore. A rich bird-life is a boon to everyone, whether they be commercial hunters, amateur hunters, bird-watchers or visitors.
The human being is a truly diminutive creature amid the mighty Greenlandic landscape, and the scattered traces of human activity along Greenland's extensive coasts are minute to look at. In Greenland, you cannot help but mention nature first and man last.
The attractions which Greenland holds for visitors - its untouched, unspoiled natural scenery, its indigenousness and a local culture with a particular uniqueness - are all attractions that make certain demands of the visitor. A person's experience of Greenland will undoubtedly be greatest if he or she is pre-geared to helping not to strain or spoil its vulnerable natural and cultural amenities.
Anyone wishing to harvest a rich yield from their Greenland visit should pick up as much information about the country as possible prior to their arrival. This applies not only to its nature but also when wandering among the Greenlandic population - in the towns as well as the villages.
Mix with that knowledge a touch of respect, congeniality, interest and fresh sight with open eyes, and you can be sure of returning home with a suitcase full of unforgettable memories and experiences.
Seeing white or bluish-green icebergs slip-sliding with the current or being driven past the coast by the tide is a natural experience that can expand to fill every corner of the mind. It is hardly strange that the Greenlandic people have always - and despite outside influences - retained a close affiliation with the natural resources in front of their very eyes. At the same time, many of the old traditions have been kept alive, and as one of the world's minorities, the Greenlanders have clung doggedly to a culture and lifestyle rooted in the past.
Enjoy the diverse natural and cultural amenities and help protect and conserve these values.
Experience the people's accommodating and hospitable nature and help preserve these virtues by respecting Greenland's traditions, customs and local regulations.
Avoid moving among nature in any way that will seem threatening to animal and plant life or that might possibly destroy the natural environment.
Generally try to leave behind only footprints and take only memories and pictures home with you as souvenirs.
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